Chinese tourists stand in a long line outside a duty-free shop in central Seoul. [Yonhap Photo]

SEOUL -- In an effort to bring back Chinese tourists, South Korea's state tourism agency will hold a five-day roadshow for group tours next week in Beijing and two other Chinese cities.

The state-run Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) said Thursday that the road show would be held in Guangzhou, Beijing and Shenyang. It will be the first such event since China banned group tours to South Korea in March last year at the height of a diplomatic row over a U.S. missile shield.

Tourism-related businesses and state agencies from more than 20 cities and provincial governments in South Korea will participate in the event for Chinese travel agencies.

KTO data showed that the deficit in South Korea's tourism industry soared 112 percent on-year to a record high of 13.75 billion US dollars last year, reflecting a travel ban imposed by China.

In 2017, about 4.16 million Chinese visitors arrived in South Korea, down 48.3 percent from the previous year. The Chinese accounted for 31.3 percent of total foreigners who visited South Korea last year. Beijing has gradually lifted restrictions on tours to South Korea since the two nations agreed in October last year to normalize relations.